Tempel to Bacchus: The Rioja Alavesa wine route

Dolmen from the early stone age. Modern wine cellars by world-famous architects such as Frank Gehry or Santiago Calatrava. But also centuries-old olive groves and grandiose mountain ranges: Rioja Alavesa boasts with landscape and culture.
The region is also one of the top wine-growing areas in Europe: Marqués de Riscal, López de Heredia or Baigorri are the stars of the scene. Around 12,000 people live in the 300 square kilometres large area, which is home to more than 300 wineries. 55 of them can be visited on the Ruta del Vino Rioja Alavesa.

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Sudhaus im Steigerwald

378 years of brewing tradition: The Aischgründer Beer road

Since 1639 beer has been brewed in Aischgrund in the Steigerwald according to the German purity law. There are eight Franconian family breweries along the 50 kilometre long beer route between Bad Windsheim and Uehlfeld - each with its own speciality.  
These can be tasted during a guided tour of the production facilities. Or you can purchase the Doktor Bierologis Causa right away: during a three-day workshop with tapping course, covered wagon ride and lots of free beer. The Franconian Open-Air Museum in Bad Windsheim shows how beer was brewed in the old tradition before industrialisation.

A controversial delicacy: The foie gras route of Perigord

Foie gras is a controversial delicacy. While production is banned in many European countries for animal welfare reasons, France has made foie gras a national cultural asset. This estate is particularly well looked after in the Perigord region - around the medieval town of Sarlat, whose historic centre was the location for a series of cloak-and-dagger films and where a large foie gras festival is held every spring. 
The Route du Foie Gras Perigord also passes through this pretty little town and continues on to Bergerac and Périgueux. It links 23 goose farms, foie gras producers, delicatessen shops and a number of restaurateurs who prepare foie gras in different ways.